Vivekananda Statue Unveiled at Seattle – 1893 to 2026, A Soft - Power at the Intersection of Prejudices
Nandini Dash- 08 May, 2026
An Indian philosopher, reformer and educator of theology, Vivekanand who attended the ‘World's Parliament of Religions’ held at Chicago in 1893, became a cultural ambassador of India to the US and impressed liberals across the globe.
In the current merry-go-round scenario of international relations, both India and the US are taking a step ahead, towards improvisation by unveiling a statute of Vivekananda at Seattle, from 1893 to 2026, a soft – power at the intersection of prejudices.
April 2026 is the month; India is celebrating and engaging in cultural relations through its ‘Indian Council of Cultural Relations’, a cultural exchange program.
On 11th April 2026 Katie Wilson, Mayor of Seattle and Prakash Gupta, Indian Consul General, officially opened the bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda at Westlake Square in downtown Seattle.
Positioned at a prime location of Seattle, the place attracts millions of visitors every month.
This is the first time an American city government hosted in establishing a life-size effigy of an Indian philosopher and educator in the USA. A soft – power to influence foreign relations and tell the story of Vivekananda, whose words of intelligence mesmerized the world over powering his outfit and skin tone.
In the present time both India and the US are entangled with societal and systematic prejudices at intersections where evil forces of religion, race, gender, ethnicity, etc are increasing while such immoral mindset and actions need to be eradicated.
In his 1893 Chicago speech Swami Vivekananda, whose given name was Narendranath Datta, addressed,
“Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy, unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us.
My thanks, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honour of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion (Hindu) which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.”
But the irony is, the reality of insulation in India and the US are prevalent against secularism and liberalism.
On the occasion of Religious Freedom Day on 16th January 2026, the White House website published, “For 250 years, our Nation and our people have abided by a simple truth: Every person is born with the God-given right to practice their faith, follow their conscience, and worship their God freely and without fear”.
Pragmatic reports tell US-Israel war on Iran fuels hatred against Muslim people in the US.
Likewise, hatred with the munitions of religion, language, region, caste, age, gender, marital status, political and administrative power, made India a hell for secular and liberal population.
Thus, the diplomatic effort of establishment of Swami Vivekanand’s statue at Seattle ought to be more than a cultural symbol. Need to speak loudly that it serves the purpose of soft power against prejudices of religion and other fragmented forces` Vivekanand stood for.
References :
- https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/first-ever-life-size-vivekananda-statue-in-us-unveiled-in-seattle/article70853444.ece
- https://www.artic.edu/swami-vivekananda-and-his-1893-speech
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/religious-freedom-day-2026/
- https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/1/14/as-hate-spirals-in-india-hindu-extremists-turn-to-christian-targets
